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Ohio Catholic diocese discourages ice challenge

Aug. 21, 2014

CINCINNATI (AP) — A Roman Catholic diocese in southwest Ohio is discouraging students and staff at its schools from taking on the ice-bucket challenge to benefit the ALS Association.

In a letter sent to its schools Tuesday, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s superintendent of Catholic schools says the ALS Association funds research involving embryonic stem cells “in direct conflict with Catholic teaching.”

The superintendent told the schools that students and staff can still do the ice-bucket challenge, but that any funds raised should be given to other organizations that combat Lou Gehrig’s Disease without embryonic stem cell research.

The ALS Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

The association has raised $41.8 million in donations since videos of the ice-bucket stunt began appearing on the Internet July 29.

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